Podcasts about big wedding planning podcast

We're kicking off this YAWA episode with a major announcement! Joining Michelle as the new co-host of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is none other than Shaun Gray, a stellar wedding planner who's here to stay!

Michelle hosted a Wedding Planning Happy Hour last year for a large group, primarily brides, and answered numerous wedding planning questions from all stages of the process. Listen in to learn a great deal from this episode and hear about others' experiences with planning their weddings. Want to listen Ad-free? Click HERE to become a premium subscriber. Ad-free, full length episodes The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Topics and Questions That Were Covered What do I need to get done now that we are 2 weeks out from the wedding? How long is too long for your venue to reply to contract questions?  When can we start planning pre-wedding festivities such as engagement parties, bridal showers, etc. How far in advance should I hire a month-of coordinator? How do I figure out trash and waste disposal? How to get over the fear of spending money you don't physically have all of right now? Is it ok that I'm hiring a HAMU artist that is not on my wedding planners's vendor list? Is it customary to pay for a bridesmaid's hair and/or makeup? I'm meeting with wedding photographers tomorrow, what should I ask them? Work with Michelle 1 on 1 from the comfort of your own home with Hourly Hirtual Wedding Planning Sessions! Click HERE for more info.  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PLEASE LISTEN! Some important updates about the future of our show. This episode is a bit different, as I'm discussing the changes coming to the podcast and what it means for you, my valued listeners. Topics Covered A Heartfelt Thank You: Expressing my deep gratitude for the incredible support from our listeners, especially our paid premium subscribers.  Major Changes: Announcing the transition of our podcast back to a free feed model and the shift to releasing new episodes monthly.  Our Rich Library: Over 400 episodes filled with invaluable wedding planning advice and stories are now freely available. This treasure trove of content remains a resource for anyone planning their wedding. Premium Feed Adjustments: Introducing the new format of our premium feed, which will continue to offer an ad-free listening experience with a slight change in content offerings. The subscription pricing has been adjusted to $4.99 a month or $45.99 annually. A Brief Pause: Explaining the pause in releasing new episodes until the end of the month as we transition to the new model. Your patience during this period is greatly appreciated. Looking Ahead: So much excitement for the next chapter of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast and the value-packed episodes to come. Questions or Feedback? If you have any questions about the changes or need assistance with your subscription, please don't hesitate to reach out at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are celebrating 400 episodes of the pod by pulling questions from a past episode of a YAWA from each year since we started them! This is the 75th episode of YAWA to boot! Hear our answers to listener questions who are planning weddings just like you.  The first YAWA was released on November 8, 2017, so we started there.  Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Questions / Topics The frustration with vendors that do not put any pricing on their websites Thoughts and experiences of hosting a wedding on a holiday weekend?  An Instagram profile just for our wedding and our guests, instead of a wedding website We fell in love with a venue but we will have to cut our guest list down. Help! Bride is pregnant and the family is saying they need to wed before she delivers My fiancé's grandma used to yodel professionally and wants to yodel at our wedding How do you respond when someone implies that your wedding is a waste of money? The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An episode packed with insights to make you feel like a contract guru. Whether you're negotiating with a caterer or deciphering a DJ's terms, you will be equipped with the knowledge to tackle those contracts with confidence. This is an episode for those of you in the Middle Phase of Planning.  Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Topics We Covered Legal terminology in plain English Why are contracts so long? What does Indemnity mean? Why can vendors keep the deposit / retainer? What's the difference between a deposit and retainer? Let's break down Liability Right to use photos / video What does Force Majeure mean?  Cancellation and rescheduling Who signs it if we are not paying?  2 types of Insurance you need for your wedding About Our Guests KUNBI ODUBOGUN, ESQ. (SHE/HER) — CO-FOUNDER AND PARTNER Kunbi Odubogun is a business attorney, speaker, and digital media expert with over 12 years experience in the creative and legal industries.  LEAH WEINBERG, ESQ. (SHE/HER) — CO-FOUNDER AND PARTNER Leah Weinberg is an attorney, a recovering wedding planner, and the author of The Wedding Roller Coaster. Links We Referenced Leah on IG  Kunbi on IG  Oduberg Law on IG https://perfete.com/ https://legallyset.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're unpacking the essential steps to conducting a successful venue site visit, with the expertise of Dixie Bagley, a renowned wedding venue owner and wedding business consultant.  Choosing a venue is a major milestone in wedding planning, the reception gobbles up about half your budget and your venue sets the stage for your big day. Dixie and I will guide you through the entire process, from the initial online research to the in-person visit, ensuring you know exactly when to go, who to bring, and what to ask. Topics We Covered Timing Your Site Visit: Knowing the best moment to sched ule your venue exploration. Navigating the Site Visit: Essential steps to take during your visit. Choosing Your Visit Squad: Deciding who should accompany you. Packing Your Site Visit Kit: What to bring for a productive outing. Open House vs. Private Site Visit: Navigating the differences and benefits. Dealing with Venue Renovations: What to ask and expect if renovations are planned. Virtual Scouting for Destination Venues: Best practices for when you can't visit in person. About The Guest Dixie Bagley is a renowned wedding business entrepreneur, owning The Farm in Rome, Georgia, a picturesque European farm estate nestled in the northwest Georgia mountains. In addition to managing her venue, Dixie also owns The Sweet Bar Bakery, bringing culinary delight to her clients. Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, she serves as a Business & Personal Consultant for wedding and event professionals, specializing in growth and balance, while also excelling as a wedding planner and engaging speaker in the field of event education. Links We Referenced The Sweet Bar The Farm Rome, GA Dixie Events Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this YAWA episode, we address specific wedding planning questions and concerns from our listeners as well as throw in a couple of Reddit reactions!  YAWA episodes offer a mix of practical advice, industry insights, and personalized responses, making them a valuable resource for anyone involved in wedding planning. On each YAWA, Michelle is joined by an expert in the wedding industry as her co-host.  Our co-host for this episode is seasoned, Houston-based, wedding planner extraordinaire, the one and only Shaun Gray! Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Questions We Answered Should we invite my step-dad's family to the wedding now that my mom is divorcing him after 20 years of marriage? What are some alternative ideas to the Unity Candle that we can incorporate into our ceremony? Should we have a preset salad at our outdoor tent wedding to minimize guest movement, or would it enhance the guest experience to have the caterer serve salads at the table while keeping dinner buffet-style? How do I dress the dining tables if we are having a buffet-style dinner service? How can we keep guests entertained at our wedding without traditional dances or cake cutting What are some engaging and not overly cheesy virtual activities to introduce my friends to each other before my destination bachelorette, considering they live in different parts of the country and will be meeting for the first time? The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think you know what it takes to plan a wedding? This episode might just change your mind. I'm diving deep into the 10 biggest wedding planning mistakes, based on decades of wedding planning experience and a treasure trove of listener stories.  This isn't your typical wedding chatter. It's a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is rundown of the missteps and miscalculations that could throw a wrench in your plans. From budget mishaps to misjudged decisions, this episode covers it all. It's packed with practical advice, eye-opening insights, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from years in the trenches of wedding planning. Whether you're just starting out or already in the thick of it, these insights are indispensable. So, if you're ready for some real talk on wedding planning – the good, the bad, and the ugly – you can't afford to miss this episode.  Disagree with any of this? I'm all ears! DM me on Instagram or email me. Let's talk about it.  Love you, love your show! ~Michelle Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're sharing solid strategies, practical phrases, and actionable advice for handling family conversations about wedding finances.  I'm joined by Certified Etiquette Trainer Mariah Grumet and we've got you covered on everything from establishing a balance of power over decisions to nailing the right time and place for these discussions. No more guessing or beating around the bush – we'll show you how to approach it with a strong posture and a solid voice. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Topics We Covered Techniques for delivery Words and phrases to use  How to handle family demands Your list of non-negotiables When you have no idea how much they can contribute The balance of power over decision The right place and time About The Guest As a certified etiquette trainer, Mariah's mission is to bring an intentional sparkle back to a lost art. Her method of teaching puts a modern and approachable twist on timeless lessons of etiquette, manners, and respect, to help her clients create stronger connections, distinguish themselves, and reach their full potential in their personal and professional lives. Old Soul Etiquette's services include private consulting, group sessions, webinars, speaking engagements, and special events on the following topics: youth, social, dining and business etiquette, personal branding, wedding preparation, style consulting, and more. Mariah has been seen on The Today Show and Good Day New York, and in Forbes, Fox News, Southern Living, Travel & Leisure, Brides, Martha Stewart, and more. Mariah is also the author of “What Do I Do? Every Wedding Etiquette Question Answered”  Links We Referenced Old Soul Etiquette Website Old Soul Etiquette on Instagram Mariah's Book! The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for a cutting-edge discussion with Michelle Martinez, host of the Big Wedding Planning Podcast, where we plunge headfirst into the futuristic world of AI and its application in wedding planning. Ever wondered how AI can streamline the communication process with vendors, family, and friends during wedding planning? Or, how it can save you significant time without stripping away the all-important human touch? We've got you covered!We dive into the creative applications of AI in wedding planning, from crafting personalized scripts to generating eloquent wording for your invitations using chat GPT. We also chat about an exciting free tool, Destinations AI, that could revolutionize your travel planning process. However, it's not all rosy; we also venture into the ethical considerations involved, especially the potential for AI to misrepresent a professional's work.We wrap up with a lively discussion about Michelle's innovative, budget-friendly three-month coaching program that offers a personalized journey to your dream wedding. We also evaluate and share our favourite AI tools that can help simplify your wedding planning process. But we're not naive about its potential drawbacks, so we also caution against the risk of AI creating a false impression of a professional wedding planner. This episode is your golden ticket to leveraging AI in your wedding planning journey. Tune in to unlock all these insights and much more!Places to go - People to see: Kelly's Site: http://www.kellymcwilliams.comKelly's Blog: https://www.kellymcwilliams.com/blogInstagram: @kellyamcwilliams About Kelly:Kelly knows how incredible a well planned wedding can be. Every moment counts and every decision plays a part. Wedding planning should be fun and as easy to do as possible. Besides planning weddings, Kelly travels the globe as an industry speaker. Kelly is a Martha Stewart Top Wedding Planner & this podcast won Brides magazine and WeddingWire's best podcast. Need a little help planning your wedding?Download the Wedding Spending Plan Download the Wedding Planning Questions and Timeline Checklists Our rockstar editor: Lance Panton...

In this "You Ask, We Answer," we tackle the intricate nuances of wedding etiquette that often leave couples scratching their heads. From managing delicate family dynamics to addressing uninvited guests with grace, we've got your back. Discover how to set clear expectations with family members who may not see eye to eye, navigate tricky conversations about guest lists, and handle financial contributions with diplomacy. Plus, we dive into the world of 'Thank You' cards, offering insights on timing, personalization, and expressing gratitude. Join us as we decode the modern rules of wedding etiquette and empower you to make your special day a harmonious and meaningful occasion. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Questions We Answered How do you set expectations with families that don't get along with one another?  How do you respond when someone says "I can't wait for the wedding," but they are not on the guest list? How do you convey that children are not welcome at the wedding politely? How do you respond when someone implies that your wedding is a waste of money? Everything ‘Thank You' cards! Appropriate timing to send? Do we hand write? What to write? Is there etiquette for acknowledging family that financially contribute? If the bride's family is paying for the entire wedding, do you have to split the guest list 50/50 between families? What is the role of the groom's parents today? What do we pay for? About The Guest Certified etiquette trainer Mariah Grumet brings a modern twist to timeless lessons, helping clients strengthen connections and reach their full potential in personal and professional lives. Old Soul Etiquette offers private consulting, webinars, and more on youth, dining, personal branding, and more. Mariah's expertise has been featured in The Today Show, Forbes, Martha Stewart, and more. She is also the author of "What Do I Do? Every Wedding Etiquette Question Answered." Links We Referenced Old Soul Etiquette Website Old Soul Etiquette on Instagram Mariah's Book! The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it that the moment you mention the word “wedding”, the price of whatever you are inquiring about goes up? Are engaged couples and their families being taken advantage of?  Ok, yes. Weddings are f%*king expensive! In this episode we are breaking down and dissecting the costs of REAL weddings and giving the answers you are yearning for. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Topics We Covered Why wedding costs are sometimes out of control 3 Wedding Budget Case Studies Why wedding vendors are charging so much How a wedding in 2023 costs 91% more than it did in 2020 Why so many wedding planners don't charge enough About The Guest Joining us today is the incredibly talented Callie Smith, the mastermind behind K Rose Events based in Southern California.  Callie has been working in the wedding planning industry for 5 years and started her business driven by a desire to inspire and empower her daughter to pursue her dreams fearlessly.  Over the years, she has gained valuable insights into the wedding industry, built strong relationships with vendors and venues, and developed a unique artistic vision. Callie's dedication to delivering exceptional service and commitment to crafting unforgettable moments for couples have been the driving forces behind her success. Links We Referenced Reel #1 Wedding Budget in January 2020 vs. January 2023. (91% Increase!!) Reel #2 Wedding Budget March 2020 vs. March 2023. (43% Increase) Reel #3 Wedding Budget June 2021 vs. June 2023. (55% Increase) K. Rose Events Website Callie on Instagram  https://www.missioninn.com/ https://tnkphoto.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christy Matthews is back this month. Yay! We've got lots of wedding planning questions from subscribers to answer. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Questions We Answered Drinking for the first time in front of my mom at my wedding. How do I handle this? What can I expect for set up and tear down from a Day Of Coordinator?  The B-list: Who do we consider moving forward as space permits? The B-list: How can we tactfully let them know that they are now invited? How do I avoid decision fatigue when it comes to decor?  How many bartenders do we need? We don't want long lines! What should I be prioritizing in the next seven months out? About The Co-host Christy Matthews co-created and co-hosted The Big Wedding Planning Podcast from it's inception in 2016 all the way to episode #283 in 2022. Christy was a wedding planner for 13 years and is now an elementary school teacher. She lives in Texas with her husband Lance and two sons, Joey and Tom. We Love Christy!! Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christy Matthews is back this month. Yay! We've got lots of wedding planning questions from subscribers to answer.  Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! Questions We Answered Drinking for the first time in front of my mom at my wedding. How do I handle this? What can I expect for set up and tear down from a Day Of Coordinator?  The B-list: Who do we consider moving forward as space permits? The B-list: How can we tactfully let them know that they are now invited? How do I avoid decision fatigue when it comes to decor?  How many bartenders do we need? We don't want long lines! What should I be prioritizing in the next seven months out? About The Co-host Christy Matthews co-created and co-hosted The Big Wedding Planning Podcast from it's inception in 2016 all the way to episode #283 in 2022. Christy was a wedding planner for 13 years and is now an elementary school teacher. She lives in Texas with her husband Lance and two sons, Joey and Tom. We Love Christy!! The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a learning episode! I am walking you through how I created a Hair and Makeup Schedule for a subscriber who was in desperate need of my help.  I recently received an email from a subscriber expressing her concerns on how early in the morning her girls were going to have to start their hair and makeup for her wedding. After reading she had 12 women getting their HAMU done and they had planned on starting at 7am for a 5pm Ceremony, I knew she needed major help! If you are a subscriber, I have created a template for you to go along with this episode. Go to our Wedding Planning Resource Center and you will see it there! :) Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes Extra tools and gifts get sprinkled in every so often! The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's June and that is typically wedding season.  So we thought we'd combine our two wedding episodes into one BEST OF THE BEST.  You will hear first from fAleigh Huston-Lyons, a therapist and coach at AisleTalk: Consultation & Therapy.  A boutique practice devoted to helping brides and grooms cope with the stresses that arise during wedding planning and anticipation of marriage. From engagement and finances to the invite list and drama, Aleigh puts in all in perspective. Social media has taken a toll on weddings and learn how Aleigh gives some sound advice on keeping it all under control.Next we welcome Michelle Martinez, who is not only a Certified Wedding Consultant, with more than 20 years in the wedding and events industry, but also the creator and host of the world's mosts popular wedding podcast - The Big Wedding Planning Podcast. With 300 episodes under her belt and nearly three million downloads, she's been around the block a few times!It seems to all come back to what Julie Dolan told us in our grand-parenting episode about being the loving and loyal servant.If you are in the stages of wedding planning and don't have the budget for a big time wedding planner, Michelle now offers a masterclass on her website.  A tiny percent of what a full wedding planner would cost.  Check it out her Master Class offer here.Thanks so much to Connie Gorant Fisher our audio engineer who did her very best in editing, cutting and splicing these two episodes together!  The information provided by Bite Your Tongue The Podcast (“we,” “us,” or “our”) or biteyourtonguepodcast.com (the “Site” and our mobile application is for general informational purposes only. All information on the SITE or on the Podcast is for general informational purposes only. All information on the SITE and PODCAST is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed, or implied regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information the SITE or the PODCAST. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL WE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY GUESTS ON OUR PODCAST. YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND PODCAST AND YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION FROM THE SITE OUR PODCAST IS SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The site and podcast do not contain any medical/health information or advice. The medical/health information is for general information and educational purposes only and is not suitable for professional device. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of medical/health advice. THE USE OF OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE OR PODCAST IS SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Lindsey is a long time listener and she just got married to the love of her life, Brent. From her favorite part of the day, to her biggest surprise to the part she disliked the most, we are learning from Lindsey's freshly married wisdom. Not only that, but we got a hold of the audio that her videographer captured. Brent was wearing a lapel mic the whole time and they both forgot. You are going to LOVE hearing behind the scenes as Lindsey and Brent experience their wedding day.  Lindsey is also sharing her list of Wedding Rules that she made for herself. UH-mazing sh%t! Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness: Ad-free, full episodes TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center Monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hours via Zoom with Michelle Bonus Episodes and more Topics We Covered Lindsey's Wedding Rules Going from planning mode to having fun on the wedding day The pressures of wedding planning The pressures of “all eyes on you” Dealing with post-wedding blues How to be well-rested for your wedding day Why they chose to do private vows  Leardi-Higgins Wedding Vendors/Services: WedTexts Reception Venue: The Guild  https://www.theguildkc.com/ Ceremony Venue: Powell Gardens https://powellgardens.org/ Catering: Garozzo's Ristorante https://www.garozzos.com/ Photography + Videography: Streetcar Studios, Jim Barcus http://www.streetcarstudios.com/ Cake + Dessert Bar: Bloom Baking Co. https://bloombakingco.com/ Florals + Rentals: Good Earth Floral  https://www.goodearthflowers.com/ Ceremony Music: Forte Quartet https://fortequartet.org/   Cocktail Hour Singer: Talya Groves  https://talyagroves.com/ DJ: Fernando Productions Jared Maib  https://fernandoproductionskc.com/djjared/ Transportation: Showtime Transportation https://www.limokc.com/ Hair + Makeup: Skyline Salon (featured on Queer Eye!) https://www.skylinesalon.com/ Month-Of Coordinator: Common Ground Events, Julia Patterson https://www.commongroundkc.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez Edited by Veronica Gruba Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She started the account while shopping for her own wedding wardrobe and began sharing her curated picks with other brides. After getting married in July, she recently founded Second Look, a socially-driven marketplace where brides can buy and sell preloved wedding fashion to other brides and their wedding parties. Topics We Covered Kat shares her own recent wedding experience Awareness on how you are being influenced in the planning process Finding beautiful wedding items on sale What is worth it to splurge on? What should you be saving on? Simple ways to elevate the decor using DIY Elements that were absolutely worth the splurge and ones that can be skipped  Links We Referenced https://www.bridesloveasale.com/ https://instagram.com/bridesloveasale/ https://www.instagram.com/secondlook.co/ https://www.secondlook.co/ Photographer: https://www.instagram.com/janawilliamsphotos_/?hl=en Venue: https://www.saddlerock-ranch.com/ Gown: https://moniquelhuillier.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. Edited by Veronica Gruba Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode On Patreon. Become a member and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Norwood is a wedding planner based in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Topics We Covered Is it rude to seat guests where they cannot see the sweetheart table?  How close is too close to the band for the couple to sit?  What days should I reserve room blocks for a Sunday wedding?  What kind of timeline and entertainment ideas make a difference in creating a unique event?  Is it okay to ask guests to drive to the church?  Do we need to provide transportation for the entire day?  Links We Referenced https://instagram.com/michellenorwoodevents  https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/episodes/329-its-not-a-destination-wedding-for-me-but-it-is-for-my-guests https://michellenorwood.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. Edited by Veronica Gruba Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode On Patreon. Become a member and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan wrote a song that was inspired by Lexi, called "Worth It" and it is Ryan's love letter to the journey that led him to his soulmate. He says, "Through ups and downs, everyone has a story, and this one has a happy ending! It's a song about reflection, a song that says, even if you have to search a lifetime to find your soulmate, it'll be worth it." The music video features real, raw footage from Ryan's wedding at Kempa Villa in Palm Desert. The best part? Ryan planned the wedding himself. "I tried to plan everything around the things that she loves and also create a fun, energetic atmosphere because that's what our lives are like in real life," he explains. "We didn't want a super traditional wedding - we wanted everything to scream our personalities!" Ryan and Michelle talk all about his new song, his wedding day, and all that went into throwing a party to celebrate their love.  Topics We Covered Ryan's Engagement at Epcot Writing the song for his spouse, Alexa Throwing parties  Destination wedding ideas Deciding what matters in the spending Setting priorities Food and Cocktail trucks Links We Referenced www.ryancabrera.com www.instagram.com/ryancabrera www.facebook.com/ryancabrera www.twitter.com/ryancabrera www.youtube.com/RyanCabreraVEVO www.youtube.com/ryancabreratv www.instagram.com/alexa_bliss_wwe_  "Worth It" Newest Wedding Anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgqcmIRYqNQ Kempa Villa https://www.kempacollection.com/kempa-villa Bubble Tap Trailer https://taptrailerco.com/ Conscious Cocktails https://consciouscocktails.com/ Heavy Handed Food Truck https://heavyhanded.la/ Yamashiro Food Truck https://yamashirohollywood.com/ Ben & Jerry Food Truck https://www.benjerry.com/plano/catering/ice-cream-truck Gastro Garage Food Truck https://thegastrogarage.com/ Elle A Events https://www.elleaevents.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. Edited by Veronica Gruba Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode On Patreon. Become a member and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael's family has been in the diamond industry for 4 generations, and he's been in it for 15 years himself. Michael is a born and bred New Yorker who currently lives in Manhattan with his wife and two kids. What We Discuss Engagement ring trends What's a lab grown diamond? What compliments an engagement ring? Where to give and take on budget Wedding band trends What to look out for Jewelry rentals for your wedding day Links We Referenced https://www.verstolo.com/ The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. Edited by Veronica Gruba Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode On Patreon. Become a member and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are joined by certified career wedding planner and host of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast, Michelle Martinez. Michelle offers her favorite tips for narrowing down your guest list, simple ways to cut down on costs, what to consider if you're planning an event at your home vs. a third-party venue, how to manage event planning anxiety - and all kinds of great advice in between for making your big day rock. Tune in if you're planning a wedding or other special event, or if you just want some practical life advice around prioritizing your wants and needs, and setting boundaries for more joy on your big day and every day! For 65 bonus episodes, exclusive rewards, and to influence content for the show, join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/selfhelpless Delanie's comped resources for entrepreneurs: https://www.delaniefischer.com Kelsey's Tour Dates: https://www.kelseycook.com This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp, Vegamour, & Ritual! Our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/selfhelpless. Go to VEGAMOUR.com/helpless and use code helpless to save 20% on your first order! Our listeners get 10% off during your first 3 months at ritual.com/HELPLESS. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking down iconic celebrity weddings including Kravis, The Royals, Gwyneth & Brad, and Brad & Angelina with none other than Michelle Martinez of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's think about the couples who fill out an inquiry form. They're interested in the specifics of your services and your price point of course, but what they're truly hoping for is a real, meaningful connection.  It's the longest they'll work with someone and it's the most money they'll spend on one day, so a wedding pro who makes them feel understood, happy, and excited - that's who they're going to pick.  But how do you make that connection happen?Michelle Martinez is the host of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast (which has over 300 episodes!).This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul.The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The amount of things that went wrong for this couple while wedding planning is almost unbelievable! From being victims of a ponzi scheme, to COVID reschedules, to their wedding planner being banned from their 3rd venue (yes, you read it right, 3rd venue), to the Maid Of Honor quitting...and that's not even the half of it. Elliot Olson is a wife, dog mom, fitness and food enthusiast, and implementation consultant from the Kansas City area. She's passionate about diversity and equality, vegan food, and her two adorable pups. In her free time, she loves to check out local coffee shops, go on walks around her neighborhood, watch chick flicks, and force Kenny to join her on all the above. Elliot and Kenny were legally wed on March 21, 2020, and they celebrated on March 19, 2022. Along the way, they hit every snag you could think of through the process of planning from day one. "I may not have had the best luck wedding planning, but I had the best luck in finding my partner" ~ Elliot (soooooo sweet and in love) Links We Referenced https://www.loveandcoevents.com/ instagram.com/loveandcoevent https://www.bstratbuckerphoto.com/ instagram.com/bstratphotofa12 https://www.dutzelscatering.com/ instagram.com/dutzelscatering https://28event.com/ instragram.com/28event https://www.elbowchocolates.com/ instagram.com/alyacevedophotography We are able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. Become a Patron, you'll get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month. Learn More: Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month!

Michelle and guest Julie Roth Novack of PartySlate, give you all of the hard facts, pro tips and tricks of the process of finding and securing your wedding venue. About our guest: Julie Roth Novack is the CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate. She brings over 20 years of digital experience overseeing global and national teams. Prior to PartySlate, Julie led the Sales and Services team at Vibes, a mobile marking SAAS company. Links We Referenced Julie on Instagram (instagram.com/juliepartyslate/) PartySlate (https://www.partyslate.com) Houzz (https://www.houzz.com/) Doodle (https://doodle.com/en/) Episode #296 All About Home Weddings with David Tutera (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/episodes/296-all-about-home-weddings-with-david-tutera) Episode #182 Venue Owner Tells All (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/episodes/182-venue-owner-tells-all?rq=venue) Episode #201 Five Venues Across The Country As We Reopen (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/episodes/201-five-venues-across-the-country-as-we-reopen) Michelle's YouTube video about venues (https://youtu.be/SIp3q-T8_CY) We're able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. If you want to learn more, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). If you become a Patron, you'll get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month. Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month!

Ok, so now we need to worry about scams while wedding planning? Seriously? Who knew? We don't want to freak you out. We want to bring these things to your attention, so you are aware they are out there and provide some info on how you can protect yourself. There are so many tips in this episode. Not only during wedding planning, but best practices for protecting yourself from identity theft, credit card theft and so many scams. Adam K. Levin is a nationally recognized expert on cybersecurity, privacy, identity theft, fraud, and personal finance and has distinguished himself as a fierce consumer advocate for the past 50 years. Former Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Levin is the founder of CyberScout and co-founder of Credit.com. He is author of the critically acclaimed book Swiped and host of the podcast What the Hack with Adam Levin (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-hack-with-adam-levin/id1571482669). Wedding Scams To Be Aware Of Fake vendors Counterfeit dresses Fake honeymoon packages Fake registries Fake Charities & Group donations Links Adam on Instagram: @adamklevin Adam's website: https://adamlevin.com/ Adam's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-hack-with-adam-levin/id1571482669 Adam's book: https://www.amazon.com/Swiped-Yourself-Scammers-Phishers-Identity-ebook/dp/B012271LV0/ref=sr11?crid=YPUV3NOBRI6F&keywords=swiped+adam+levin&qid=1649897301&sprefix=swiped%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1 https://loudtreemedia.com/ https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action https://www.charitynavigator.org/ Quotes "Never trust. Always question. Always verify" - Adam K. Levin “There are a lot of websites that are fabulous and you can see a wide array of opportunities there, in terms of dresses. But if a dress seems just way too inexpensive to be real, it probably is. So, you could buy it and it shows up, and let's say it shows up 3 or 4 weeks before the wedding, and it is a knock off what you thought you were getting.” - Adam K. Levin “It's always important to check with the concierge at the hotel you're staying at to make sure you're making the right move. Now listen, a lot of these hotels, their people are getting a bit from different attractions that you can go to. But at the same point, I would still rather go to a concierge at a hotel that I trusted, then to say ‘oh this looks fun, interesting, and I've never heard of this before.' There may be a reason why.” - Adam K. Levin “Remember, when you're telling people where you are, you're telling people where you're not.” - Adam K. Levin We're able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. If you want to learn more, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). If you want to become a Patron (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast), and get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast)! A giant thank you to all of our Patrons, who help keep this podcast running! Learn more by checking out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month!

Today Denise and Ellen welcome Michelle Martinez, who is not only a Certified Wedding Consultant, with more than 20 years in the wedding and events industry, but also the creator and host of the world's mosts popular wedding podcast - The Big Wedding Planning Podcast. With 300 episodes under her belt and nearly three million downloads, she's been around the block a few times!Ellen's daughter is getting married so Ellen has some inside scoop on some of her issues. Michelle helps us see the whole picture, what are role is of parents - of the bride or the groom and underscores her three missions:Inclusivity is keyPerfection is a mythWedding planning for allIt seems to all come back to what Julie Dolan told us in our grand-parenting episode about being the loving and loyal servant.We talk about:The role of the bride and groom's familyHow the bride's family can help the groom's family feel more comfortableThe role of the newly engaged coupleGuest listsFinances and moreIf you are in the stages of wedding planning and don't have the budget for a big time wedding planner, Michelle now offers a masterclass on her website.  A tiny percent of what a full wedding planner would cost.  Check it out her Master Class offer here.Don't forget our "AND ONE MORE THING...BITE YOUR TONGUE" MUGS!  They are available on our website.  Here is quick link. Help support the podcast. Please stay engaged.  We can't thank listeners enough for their feedback and suggestions on topics to explore.  Let us know how you like the episodes and also let us know what topics you'd like us to explore.  Write us at biteyourtonguepodcast@gmail.comSubscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform - and give us a review!Follow us on all on social media and leave some comments - we love them!If you have ideas for future episodes, please email us at biteyourtonguepodcast.com.Support us:Buy us a coffee:  LINK HEREBuy a mug:  LINK HERESome deals for listeners:Denise's favorite shape-wear company.  Denise particularly LOVES their best selling Truekind Daily Comfort Wireless Bra.  "It holds you up and is so comfortable.  I am hooked - truly," says Denise.  Use this link and just put biteyourtongue (one word) in the CODE at checkout.Please stay engaged.  Let us know how you like the episodes and also let us know what topics you'd like us to explore.Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform - and give us a review!Follow us on all of our social media platforms - and comment - we love to hear from you!FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   LINKEDINThanks to Connie Gorant Fisher our audio engineer and remember - SOMETIMES YOU MAY JUST HAVE TO BITE YOUR TONGUE!&

People jump into wedding planning without really getting themselves set up for success. Planning a wedding is a lot like taking on a second part time job where you'll be spending hundreds of hours planning, in addition to all the other things you already have going on in your life, at work, with family and more. Which is why, this special episode is all about guiding you toward the smoothest planning road possible. Today's show is hosted as a solo episode with Michelle, who knows a lot, and we mean a lot, about wedding planning. She's not just giving you freebie checklists or sharing her favorite amazon must reads. You'll learn exactly what to do now that you've embarked on the journey of planning your special day. Get ready to take notes, to listen, and to learn! Big Takeaways: This is what you should do BEFORE you get started with wedding planning tools. Planning a wedding is like taking on a freelance gig, except you aren't getting paid. You are going to start reaching out to new types of services, vendors, stores, going to wedding shows, but after the wedding is over, you won't have much need to keep in touch with any of these businesses or services, so you'll want to be sure that your forever accounts are not being used for the wedding. Trust me. After the wedding, you will move on to other life events, so you may even want to repeat some of these tips in another year or so… When you start your wedding planning journey, my wish for you is that it you are able to focus. I want your Planning process to be * Fun * Smooth * And memorable for all the right reasons My 5 tips to get you set up and organized for your wedding planning journey. #1 - New Email Address for the wedding only - I recommend signing up for a Google. * You have a personal email, you have a work email, now you have a wedding email. When you're done with wedding planning, you can close it. * Only check it at certain times. Keeps you focused at work if you do. * When you sign up on wedding websites for discounts, you won't be spammed in your other email inboxes. * It comes with Google Drive - all the tools you need - sheets, docs, slides. * It comes with Google Calendar. * This is your wedding planning calendar and you will both see what is coming up and be able to set up meetings, calls, etc… * Go in and block times that you cannot do wedding related activities. * Include Vacations * Work travel * Weekly meetings that you each have for work. * Work hours *#2 - Google Voice * * Google Voice is a free service. A single phone number that you can call or text from. I have the app on my iPhone and it rings from there. You can set up a voicemail outgoing message as well. You can set up a Google Voice account on either your computer or mobile device, and immediately begin placing domestic and international calls, or sending texts. * Privacy - You don't have to give your personal number to potential vendors at a wedding expo. You may sign up for a discount that is only given if they can send you text messages. * Keeps your personal or work phone clear of wedding communication. Again, this is another way to keep things organized #3 - Social Media Accounts * Helps keep your personal or business feed free of wedding related content. Remember, once the wedding is over, you won't need to be seeing this stuff anymore. You can move on to your next life event. * DM'ing may start happening with vendors too. * Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Pinterest… #4 - Weekly wedding planning sessions * Talking about your wedding planning tasks all the time is no good for your relationship. Do yourselves a favor and keep notes on items that need to be covered for your scheduled wedding planning meetings. * They may change to bi-weekly once all vendors are hired and you are in your lull phase of planning. * Keep your life organized. Wedding Wednesdays? * Add standing meetings to your google calendar. #5 - Priorities * It's time to talk about what is important to each of you when it comes to the wedding. This is going to drive every decision you make AND influence your wedding budget. * This is an exercise for you. Each of you does this first part alone. No influence from your partner. Scale of 1-10 * To get a free PDF of this exercise, go to www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/priorities (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/priorities) *Now you are ready to start wedding planning! * Choose the resources that work best for you. There are many free wedding planning tools available online, books to purchase, organizers, etc.. You can even use a project management system that businesses use like Asana, Monday or Trello. My recommendation? My Master Class of course!! Links we referenced! Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com) Sign up for a free personal google account here: https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/webcreateaccount?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=SignUp (https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/webcreateaccount?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=SignUp) www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/priorities (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/priorities) - Free PDF Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month!

Our monthly episode of You Ask, We Answer; where we take time to listen to our audiences questions, select top trending picks, and answer them on the show. This month we've got co-host Mark Allan Groleau joining Michelle as a special co-host. Mark is a professional full time wedding officiant and a trainer of officiant and celebrants all over the world as he helps to teach others how to officiate an unboring ceremony! Mark and Michelle dive into your most sought after questions, and answer questions ranging from 'two languages and two religions', all the way to officiating 'non religious weddings'. Listen in and get ready to learn! Question #1: I have a question regarding losing trust in a wedding vendor, specifically my wedding planner. There have been a handful of communication issues between myself and our wedding planner that have caused me to doubt our selection in wedding planners. Can anything be done at this point? Our wedding is in 7 months, and we do really like our planner personality wise and vibe well enough, but I really need these communication issues to be fixed. I'm paying for full planning services and feel I shouldn't have this anxiety of needing to check my planner's progress or follow up on things. We've already brought it up once a few months back, so bringing it up again will be the 2nd time. Is it too much for me to ask to be copied on emails she sends to our vendors regarding our wedding? Answer #1: It sounds absolutely necessary to need to bring this up a second time. The planner is supposed to help relieve stress and planning weight from the couple, not cause more. There is NO reason you should not receive a response of some kind within 24 hours, even if the response is just them saying they will get back to you. It sounds like this planner has taken on more than they can chew. Be straight forward with your needs to them, in a tactful way. Email them to set up an appointment, and talk about these needs with them in person. Express your feelings and needs. Question #2: Ceremony readings that aren't religious? Also, ideas for a unity ceremony that aren't super cheesy or overdone (like the sand mixing)? Answer #2: Mark doesn't love readings at a ceremony. A bit boring. Any reading should come from you, a book that you love, a poem that means something to the two of you, song lyrics. A new trend is mixing a cocktail they couple loves and taking the shot. It's fun and fresh! Scottish Quaich is a fun one. A bowl w/ 2 handles and whiskey - Google it Unity ceremonies hand-fasting, sand ceremony, unity candles, don't have to be cheesy or boring if explained in the right way. Question #3: I'm using Unboring wedding academy and my moms best friends are our officiants. Having 2 officiants instead of just 1? Any advice or tricks? Answer #3: Naturally choose a section for each officiant to read, how you met, the first date, the proposal, vows, ring exchange - each step forward to the mic for each section Question #4: I'm not changing my name so at the end of the ceremony what should they say instead of “the new mr and mrs. blank”? Answer #4: First name and First name as “husband and wife” or whatever title you are more comfortable. Maybe name and name are married! Question #5: Considering asking a friend to be an officiant. How do we go about asking? Should we pay for their certification/license? Answer #5: Bring the to dinner, drinks, ask them. Keep it simple. Also some great Tik Tok videos on fun ways to do this. Yes, you should definitely at least cover their costs to be your officiant. You should definitely check out Mark's digital course Unboring! Wedding Academy Question #6: How to go about choosing an officiant when you're not a part of a church? Answer #6: Look online for a professional officiant or vendor list from your venue, or recommendations from friends or relatives Question #7: How to tell your parents that you don't want to use their pastor? Answer #7: Be firm. They need to hear this is not what you want for your wedding. Question #8: Ways to make the ceremony more personalized to you and your fiancé? Answer #8: A personable officiant that personalizes your ceremony is the best. YOUR story is the key to this. Dating, proposal, what do you love about each other, what do others love about you? Question #9: Best way to incorporate 2 religions or 2 languages? Answer #9: 2 languages can be every word in equal time or certain sections in each language. Question #10: What suggestions do you have for an officiant in a ceremony with cultural elements that not all guests may be familiar with? (I.e. Chinese Tea Ceremony, jumping the broom, Filipino sponsors, Areas, etc.) Answer #10: If there are specific rituals involved, the officiant should explain it. The history, the cultural importance, what it means to the couple or the family. Explain what is happening next and why we are doing it. Question #11: What's a good thank you gift for your female officiant who is a friend? Answer #11: WHAT you gift is personal and up to you. Think about how much you would pay a professional and spend either as much or close to it if possible. Everyone loves a good gift card! Question #12: What should your officiant wear? Answer #12: Dress classic. Suit is great for ANYONE. A nice dress. Not flashy, never outshine the couple. Colors should not clash with the wedding florals Question #13: When/how do they enter the ceremony? Answer #13: Mark's fave. Enter before the processional and address the guests and make any announcements OR enter with the Groomsmen prior to the main processional. Question #14: How does an officiant approach “housekeeping details” like asking everyone to silence their phones or to stick around for a group photo when the couple recesses down the aisle, etc Answer #14: Say it right before the processional starts Question #15: Where is the best place to fit a handfasting ceremony into the larger wedding ceremony? Answer #15: Usually after the vows and before the ring exchange. The couple will need to get their hands out easily to do the ring exchange, so tie the ribbon loose. Some people like it tied tight, so they do it after the ring exchange and keep hands tied during the kiss and then you untie. Question #16: My officiant said he doesn't come to the rehearsal!! What do we do? Answer #16: This is not ideal, but... If you have a planner or month of coordinator, that person will run the rehearsal. If you don't have a planner, then you or someone else will need to run the rehearsal. Links We Referenced https://www.unboringweddingacademy.com (https://www.unboringweddingacademy.com) https://unboringwedding.com (https://unboringwedding.com) Mark's no stranger to the podcast so if you haven't heard him previously head back to: Episode #150 (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/episodes/lldfynmtsgmhlebukhmm4tntpklah4) - Will you Marry Us Episode 241 (https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/episodes/p3v0phpfbqrhy29t3jx3g11ungwb12) - The Big Wedding Planning Masterclass. A special thank you to our sponsors of this episode: Zola - They have everything you need all in one place! Visit zola.com/bigwedding (https://welcome.zola.com/allproducts_alldevices_50/?pkey=bigweddingpod&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=bigwedding&) Flower Moxie.com (https://flowermoxie.com)Use code BigWeddings for $25.00 off your purchase! We're able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. If you want to learn more, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). If you want to become a Patron (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast), and get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast)! A giant thank you to all of our Patrons, who help keep this podcast running! Learn more by checking out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Special Guest: Mark Allen Groleau.

I HAVE OPENED UP 3 SPOTS IN MY 1:1 COACHING PROGRAM! (this is a rarity since my program is normally at capacity or has 1 spot available) Sign up for a free 30 minute discovery call by going to www.lifecoachbaker.com or by clicking here. ----more---- Today on the Life Coach Baker Podcast we are joined by the very special, Michelle Martinez to talk to you about wedding planning and how perfection is a MYTH. Michelle is a wedding planner, mother, wife, sister, friend, and host of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast! Enjoy! Website: https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-wedding-planning-podcast/id1171455133 ----more---- Got goals? Goal Smasher is my step-by-step technique to help you set clear goals, create and implement an overwhelm-free plan, and learn the secret for keeping your motivation consistent and high! Learn more by clicking here or by going to lifecoachbaker.com/goalsmasher ---more---- Interested in learning more about my 1:1 coaching program? Click here to book your free 30 minute call with me where we'll discuss your goals/ideas, where you're currently feeling stuck (and yes I will help you solve this issue on the call) and whether I think my program is a good fit* * This is not a hard sales call, I hate that sh*t. You will leave this call with clarity, next steps, and some motivation - even if I'm unable to take you on as a client. Click here or visit www.lifecoachbaker.com to book your free 30 minute call! ---more---- Take the quiz! What Type of Perfectionist are You? https://life-coach-baker.involve.me/what-type-of-perfectionists-are-you ---more--- Don't forget to rate and review the podcast either on iTunes, Youtube or send me a video for a chance to get a shoutout on the next review of the episode. Please send video/audio reviews to hello@lifecoachbaker.com And, of course, don't forget to hit that subscribe button! IG- @lifecoachbaker This podcast is produced and edited by the WONDERFUL Ariel Villafane!

Woot Woot! Today we are celebrating 300 Episodes of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast! We're toasting this milestone with guests Rosie and Will. Wedding planning clients of Michelle, the couple was married in October of 2021. Their wedding happened just as Covid restrictions were lifting, which surprisingly brought its own unique set of challenges. Rosie and Will chat with Michelle today about what they learned, share advice on what they might have done differently, and reflect on the moment that brought them together for a lifetime. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Big Takeaways There were about 86 guests in attendance. Most of the wedding took place outside, at a family friend's house. In regards to covid precautions, they only required a negative covid test. The caterer had been used by a family member before so they felt confident booking them. Challenges and Tips Unfortunately, their catering company was sold during the pandemic and sadly the couple has yet to receive their deposit back. Even under pressure, do your due diligence. Family style food was a cost-savings for the couple. Make sure you and your partner are on the same page with timing throughout your wedding day. Rosie and Will purchased their own alcohol and ended up with way more than they needed. The pair purchased spirits as well as beer and wine, but waited until after dinner to put the spirits out. A great cost savings tip Their favors were custom matches. Rosie's father has passed away. So to honor him, they lit candles at the beginning of the ceremony for him and Will's grandparents. It was a symbolic way of feeling their presence at the wedding. They tried to save money on lighting and ultimately wish they had paid a professional to do the lighting for them. Be thoughtful about where you seat your elderly family members. Upon reflection, the pair wishes they had done a first look. If Rosie could go back, she would have purchased a second dress for post wedding ceremony festivities. Remember to find time to eat. The day goes by quickly. Links We Referenced danipadgettweddings.com culinaryeye.com Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Woot Woot! Today we are celebrating 300 Episodes of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast! We're toasting this milestone with guests Rosie and Will. Wedding planning clients of Michelle, the couple was married in October of 2021. Their wedding happened just as Covid restrictions were lifting, which surprisingly brought its own unique set of challenges. Rosie and Will chat with Michelle today about what they learned, share advice on what they might have done differently, and reflect on the moment that brought them together for a lifetime. Big Takeaways * There were about 86 guests in attendance. Most of the wedding took place outside, at a family friend's house. * In regards to covid precautions, they only required a negative covid test. * The caterer had been used by a family member before so they felt confident booking them. Challenges and Tips * Unfortunately, their catering company was sold during the pandemic and sadly the couple has yet to receive their deposit back. * Even under pressure, do your due diligence. * Family style food was a cost-savings for the couple. * Make sure you and your partner are on the same page with timing throughout your wedding day. * Rosie and Will purchased their own alcohol and ended up with way more than they needed. * The pair purchased spirits as well as beer and wine, but waited until after dinner to put the spirits out. A great cost savings tip * Their favors were custom matches. * Rosie's father has passed away. So to honor him, they lit candles at the beginning of the ceremony for him and Will's grandparents. It was a symbolic way of feeling their presence at the wedding. * They tried to save money on lighting and ultimately wish they had paid a professional to do the lighting for them. * Be thoughtful about where you seat your elderly family members. * Upon reflection, the pair wishes they had done a first look. * If Rosie could go back, she would have purchased a second dress for post wedding ceremony festivities. * Remember to find time to eat. The day goes by quickly. Links We Referenced danipadgettweddings.com (https://danipadgettweddings.com) culinaryeye.com (https://culinaryeye.com) Quotes “I'm sure you have many episodes on this. Planning comes in phases, right? Like first is you're all stressed out trying to find the vendors. Then you book the vendors, and for awhile it's kinda like pretty mellow, like you're doing a couple of things here and there. But then like two months out from the wedding is - like whoosh - just so much to do. So I'm sure like when things were high pressure it was stressful. But I feel like Will was involved in the things he really cared about, and super helpful around those times and just let me run with everything else.” - Rosie “Just enjoy it. Enjoy the ride. Don't get too stressed out. It's gonna, I think Michelle you said this a lot, it's gonna happen the way it happens. It's out of your control the second that the day kicks off. And so you just go with it. And at the end of the day, all you remember is it was the best day of your life and it was so fun. I just kept saying ‘I want to do it all over again, can we plan a ten year anniversary party?'” - Rosie Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month!

“Don't get married! Don't do it!” Those were the words of advice our guest of today's podcast used to share with his friends and family. As one of Atlanta's award winning Divorce attorney's, Aaron Thomas, a graduate of Harvard Law School, has spent years working with couples during the painful side of marriage, watching them come to an end. Today, Aaron is happily married himself and no longer advocates against getting married, he does however, offer uplifting and positive advice for the consideration of prenups when planning a wedding. Michelle's discussion with Aaron, helps demistify why prenups get a bad reputation and how they can be a useful tool for couples who want to start their financial relationship in an intentional, transparent, and fair way. Big Takeaways Three Things that lead to a successful financial relationship: 1. Transparency Disclose all your assets and debts when you come in. 2. Communication Make agreements on certain spending habits. For instance, Aaron and his spouse communicate any time they are going to spend over $500. 3. Fairness Buckets of spending are important. For instance, asking about spending that $500 is only when it is coming from the couple spending bucket. Then each person has their own account as well. If things do come to an end, can we handle it in a way that treats both of us fairly and kindly? Even if you never get divorced, having a pre-nup can do wonders for your relationship. In setting up the agreement, both people must lay out their entire financial situation, and this creates a vulnerability and understanding of each other that may never otherwise come. The pre-nup doesn't just have to be about what happens if the marriage ends, you can add in comments about how money is spent and handled DURING the marriage. Creating budgets helps the couple experience things together on equal footing. You can create a pre-nup after getting married, it's actually called a post-nup! If you can't add the pre-nup in right now, at least have the conversation. Talk to your partner about your finances! Links We Referenced prenups.com (https://prenups.com) aaronthomaslaw.com (https://www.aaronthomaslaw.com) Evite.com/BigWedding (https://www.evite.com/?utm_source=veritone&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tryforfree&utm_content=bigwedding) Flower Moxie (https://flowermoxie.com) Use code BigWeddings for $25.00 off your purchase! Quotes “It's a good idea to talk about financial issues before the wedding. That's going to play into even the budget for the wedding planning, I would assume, so. But also more importantly, it has to do with your life together. So, certainly I think couples should start talking about financial issues and making sure they're on the same page before or during the wedding planning season.” - Aaron “You can't be living in the same household and in different socioeconomic classes. Right? It's a recipe for disaster.” - Aaron “The couple in the ‘60s getting married was like a start-up. The couple getting married today is like merging two fully formed corporations.” - Aaron “If we can decide, when we love each other, what's fair. You know, waiting until divorce is a cruel joke, because you wait until all the trust has been broken down and all of this negative feelings have been built up with the other person. And then, you're supposed to agree on how to manage all the division of your finances from the past 10, 20, 30 years?” - Aaron Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Special Guest: Aaron Thomas.

We've got some super fun announcements for you on today's brand new bonus episode of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast! Michelle opens up about the exciting career path she's on, her mission to give you increased access to even more wedding planning secrets, as well as giving you more insider access to everything you need for planning wedded bliss. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Hint hint...here's one of the major announcements you aren't going to want to miss. Michelle is starting a new series exclusively for Patrons of TBWPP. This bonus episode is your sneak peak into what's ahead for you when you become a member too. For $6.99 per month, you'll gain access to episodes like these, where Michelle will release 2 ad-free episodes per month + invete you to a monthly Zoom Happy Hour where we can all hang out, laugh, have fun, inspire and help each other out with wedding planning. Patreon is going to be a vital lifeline to the continued growth at TBWPP. On today's special Patreon episode, you'll listen to our guest share the issues of getting her fiancé to focus on making decisions with wedding planning. After doing the research, and having the options ready, her fiancé has so much work in his regular life that the decision fatigue has effected his ability to contribute to the planning process. In order to avoid friction in the relationship, Michelle gives advice on how to ask her fiancé for help by scheduling dedicated planning times, and how to work together for a smooth remainder of the planning. We're able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. If you want to learn more, check out our Patreon Page. Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got some super fun announcements for you on today's brand new bonus episode of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast! Michelle opens up about the exciting career path she's on, her mission to give you increased access to even more wedding planning secrets, as well as giving you more insider access to everything you need for planning wedded bliss. Hint hint...here's one of the major announcements you aren't going to want to miss. Michelle is starting a new series exclusively for Patrons of TBWPP. This bonus episode is your sneak peak into what's ahead for you when you become a member too. For $6.99 per month, you'll gain access to episodes like these, where Michelle will release 2 ad-free episodes per month + invete you to a monthly Zoom Happy Hour where we can all hang out, laugh, have fun, inspire and help each other out with wedding planning. Patreon is going to be a vital lifeline to the continued growth at TBWPP. On today's special Patreon episode, you'll listen to our guest share the issues of getting her fiancé to focus on making decisions with wedding planning. After doing the research, and having the options ready, her fiancé has so much work in his regular life that the decision fatigue has effected his ability to contribute to the planning process. In order to avoid friction in the relationship, Michelle gives advice on how to ask her fiancé for help by scheduling dedicated planning times, and how to work together for a smooth remainder of the planning. We're able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. If you want to learn more, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $5 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month!

Home weddings are so much fun and include some of Michelle's favorite wedding planning moments. On today's episode she's chatting it up with one of our favorite guests, David Tutera. The pair discusses the challenges not previously considered when using a home as a wedding venue as well as all the wonderful, intimate emotion that surrounds a wedding of this nature. Listen in because you are going to learn a lot! Tips: 1. You can buy handheld candles that are usually used for memorials. They prevent wax drippings and you can raise the cup up to make sure the flames are safe. 2. If you don't want a lot of dancing, you can create moments like musicians that cut in between smaller sections of dancing. 3. A rental specialist would be a helpful vendor if you are not having a planner. They will know what kind of rentals are needed to make the event go off without a hitch. 4. Caterers do not want to use your kitchen, and you probably don't want them using your kitchen anyway. 5. Make sure your spaces are not far apart from each other, so there isn't a lot of moving around. Consider what your guests have to walk through. 6. Permits! Know what kind of permits you might need in your area. HOA, city ordinances, fire department, police department, etc. 7. Liability insurance is crucial! 8. Purchasing your own alcohol might not actually save you that much money. Hiring caterers/bartenders is a much more practical idea. 9. Have someone available to keep up the cleanliness of toilets. Restroom facility rentals come with attendants! 10. Valet is the way to go. 11. Several months prior to your wedding, send a note to your neighbor with a gift that tells them about the event. Then the night before, give them a nice bottle of wine or food. 12. You MUST have a generator. Get a movie-quiet one if you can. 13. Lighting is very important, not only for safety but for aesthetic reasons too. 14. Do not water the grass! Turn off the sprinklers at least a few days before the wedding. 15. Check with your caterer about the trash! Get them haul it away. It will cost extra but it sooooo worth it. 16. Decibels and energy should increase before the ending of the night, that way you can start to quiet things down gradually. The host can give a thank you and that helps guests know it's time to leave. Links We Referenced davidtutera.com (https://davidtutera.com) experience.davidtutera.com (http://experience.davidtutera.com) instagram.com/davidtutera (https://www.instagram.com/davidtutera/) facebook.com/TheDavidTutera (https://www.facebook.com/TheDavidTutera) Quotes “I would say, you know, 98% of the time, a wedding at a private home is actually going to cost you more, not only money, but there's just so much more to think about. Because a home is not normally designed in a way to allow for a great flow for a big event.” - Michelle _“Keep in mind, like you were sharing earlier Michelle, when you arrive at someone's home, you're not just looking at the beauty of the space, you're looking at the reality of what the guests have to go through to get from point a, b, c, and d, and so on.” - David “Every single person, right now, that's listening to this podcast...” - David “David's very close to the microphone, this is very important. Listen.” - Michelle “I'm begging you to understand that a generator is a lifeline to success. When your power goes down, your party's over.” - David_ Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $5 per month, you get bonus episodes, special newsletters and Zoom Cocktail Hours with Michelle! Special Guest: David Tutera.

We chat Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars and debate whether this was a display of toxic masculinity or a culture bereft of normalized, ceremonial, male-on-male combat. We further explore the role Scientology may have played in the slap heard round the world. Then, we are joined by wedding planning expert and host of the The Big Wedding Planning Podcast, Michelle Martinez, to answer all your (and Lauren's) questions about weddings. Should you leave your florals to a trusted expert or swing by Ralph's the Friday before the ceremony to DIY it on the cheap? All your questions and more are answered on this intensive wedding deep dive. Buckle in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our monthly episode of You Ask, We Answer; where we take time to listen to our audiences questions, select top trending picks, and answer them on the show. This month's show has Kelly McWilliams on as a co-host. Kelly is a wedding planner and a podcast host herself. She and Michelle speak each other's language in helping people planning their weddings. You'll get double the expertise as Michelle and Kelly give you answers to everything you're dying to know. Question #1: We are currently planning our wedding for July 2023 in Germany. We are hoping that the Covid situation has settled by then and both of our families will be able to celebrate together. We already rented our venue which is a beautiful mason house in the area where I grew up. My fiancé and I booked it for the entire weekend, which gives us enough time to hang out with all our loved ones. The only thing I am a little worried about is the language barrier. Obviously a lot of the younger generation speaks English, but important people like my mum and grandparents can't. You had a lot of great episodes on your podcast about multicultural weddings and how to make people feel included, but I was wondering if you have more tips about how to include people that communicate in different languages? One idea we had was to have a screen and projector in the back, so when we are holding speeches, guests will be able to read the translation of the speech. And obviously little cards so they can learn the greetings in each other languages. We will have a bilingual ceremony and I will get some of my friends and family to help with the translating on the day, but I also don't want to put everyone to work. I have been to so many multicultural weddings where there has been a massive divide between the two families, because they couldn't communicate properly which each other. We really want everyone to have a great time and get to know each other, that is our biggest priority, so any tips would be really appreciated!! Answer #1: You're on the right track, but the screen and projector in back feel like a lot of extra work. Unless someone is live translating, they would have to submit their speeches before hand to be translated. It's definitely an option. It would also be okay to have a translator there. For the most part, people tend to stick to their groups and talk to who they know. Cards with little translations on them is a great idea. Question #2: I am not yet engaged, but will be by summer time! I wanted to create a budget so we knew how much to save and got deep into planning. I love parties and planning, but know that I will need a lot of help. I am considering a full planning (almost certainly getting a month of), but our budget is not huge. We are hoping to stay in $25,000-35,000 for 50 person wedding. Is that too small a budget for a wedding planner around the Washington, DC area? Also if you know any planners in the area, I would love some recommendations. Answer #2: As for pricing of a planner, I can only speak to what I charge and at this time, that is $12,000 for Full Planning and $7,300 for partial. Your budget for that size wedding seems really great. I did some quick research and it seems to me that you should be able to have a really nice wedding for that budget. Even if you spent $12K for a planner, that would leave you over $20K for the wedding. Depending on what your priorities are that is. Keep in mind that really good photographers range from $5 to $10K and of course wedding attire can be really expensive if you go that route, but overall I'm feeling pretty good about your budget, so yay! DC itself is very expensive, but if you are able to look at venues a little outside of the city, you will find better ways to stretch your budget out. Find some planners in the area, and follow them on instagram. Visit theweddingreport.com to find ideas to start with budget. Keep in mind the numbers are for very basic weddings, and you will be building from that number. Question #3: My fiancé and I are getting married on Sunday, July 3rd of this year, in the Hudson Valley area of NY. We are traveling an hour and 20 mins to get to the venue, and most of our guests will have the same travel time (or more). We sent out our Save the Dates last year in November so everyone has basic info that the wedding will be during a holiday weekend, and we have shared details about hotel accommodations on our website (which was included on the Save the Date). My questions are: when do we send out the invites? and when should we make the RSVP by date? We will need to give our final head count to the venue 2 weeks prior to the wedding, but I think some wiggle room would be good since we're doing online RSVPs and anticipating some of the "older" guests to have some issues with this. Also, the last date to reserve within our room block is May 22nd, and I do not want people to forget to book their room or not have enough time to think about if they should reserve a room. Answer #3: Mail them out 8-10 weeks in advance, so maybe send them out on April 30th, so they get to everyone's home that first week of May. Make your RSVP by date: June 5 (so 4 weeks ahead of time), that way you have plenty of time to get in touch with anyone who didn't RSVP and make your deadline of 2 weeks to the venue. Regardless of your RSVP date, you need to send out reminders to people that the last day to book a room under the discounted rate is May 22nd. I would also recommend you reach out to the hotel in early May and ask for a Rooming List so you can see exactly who has booked their rooms already. This helps give you a hint of who you need to remind. Kelly recommends 12 week mail-outs as she works on a lot of destination weddings. This helps with any issues with the post office, and shipping. She also recommends RSVPs at least 6 weeks in advance just so you have extra wiggle room. Especially because having the numbers ahead of time knows how much of certain items to buy and have ready for guests. Question #4: My fiancé and I are planning a kind of a non-traditional wedding. We're not doing things like cutting, we're not doing any dancing. We don't have a bridal party and we're kind of thinking small, like a 50-person wedding. We're having our wedding at an outdoor venue in Washington called McMenamins. And the location is basically like a patio. So because we're not planning on dancing for the reception. I was wondering what type of things we could do to keep our guests entertained. We have a DJ and we're on a pretty tight budget, so we're just kind of planning on having Ambience music and we're hoping to have some like table games. Something fun for our guests to do but we're not really planning on having any of those micro-events that you have talked about before like the cake-cutting and speeches and all of those things. So, what would you suggest that we do to keep our guests entertained and kind of provide structure for the evening? Answer #4: There is nothing wrong with having a dinner party wedding! You don't have to add to that. Non- traditional is lovely. Micro events are recommend to keep things flowing, but not necessary. Remember a great dinner party you've been to in the past, often it's just snacks, dinner, conversation, and home. Some ideas: People love a good a slide show. You can make it yourself. Buy conversations starters and place them on the tables to promote conversation between guests. Bingo is a lot of fun. And you could rent the ball spinner, and get some little gifts for winners. You could have some cool musicians/performers come in that would be fun to watch. Question #5: My fiancé, Doug, and I are having a weekend style summer camp wedding. Guests will arrive at 5:30pm Friday for a BBQ then leave on Sunday at 11 am after brunch. There is a full day of activities planned on Saturday (lake activities, ropes courses etc) and our ceremony is scheduled for 6:30. The wedding is this June, so it will still be daylight. I do not want to miss many of the daytime activities on Saturday, but I know I need to set some time aside for my hair and make up. My plan is to start getting ready at 3:30 with a close group of friends, then do the first look and pictures at 5:30. I have planned a wine class for the guests that starts at 3:30, that majority of our guests will attend. (I am a professional wine buyer and have lots of wine professional friends, so I have enlisted a few to do the class) I do not mind missing the wine class and intentionally scheduled it at this time to start getting ready. So my question...Is this a reasonable timeline for that portion of events or do I need to allocate more time for hair, make up and pictures? I know many timelines have the bride starting to get ready 6 hours+ before. Side note, I am not planning on hiring a hair and make up artist and mostly because of the tight timeline. Answer #5: There are a lot of factors on time. Are you doing your own hair and make up? Or is someone (a friend) doing it for you? Assuming you are doing your own and your guests are as well, there is no need for 6 hours. A room full of friends can make time fly by really fast, if you are all talking, drinking, etc. If you have two hours, then you will need to make sure everyone is focused. Getting dressed takes a lot of time. After first look, you return to your room and don't walk straight to the ceremony. So at 6, you need to be tucked away as guests are sitting. If you can, start getting ready at 2:30pm. If you are doing pre-wedding pictures with your wedding party, time needs to be pushed up to 5. Chat with your photographer on timelines. Question #6: The other question is about insurance. We are required to have limited liability insurance and our venue will allow us to add ourselves to their policy for the weekend for $350. Should we get additional insurance in case anything happens to our other vendors or the venue itself? It sounds like the insurance that we are purchasing through the venue just covers if something happens to our guests during the wedding. Answer #6: Be careful with what is included with the insurance. They run the gamut on pricing, and it is important to read the fine details in the policy so you know what it does and does not cover. The venue's insurance probably only covers the venue. You can get wedding insurance. The venue's liability insurance probably does not cover your guests. Ask vendors before you book them if they have their own business liability insurance. Links We Referenced https://www.kellymcwilliams.com (https://www.kellymcwilliams.com) https://www.kellymcwilliams.com/blog/this-vs-that-wedding-podcast(This Vs. That Podcast) https://www.bellanottedc.com (https://www.bellanottedc.com) https://bellwetherevents.com (https://bellwetherevents.com) https://wedding.report (https://wedding.report) https://www.theexperientialwedding.com (https://www.theexperientialwedding.com) QR Code Generator (https://www.qr-code-generator.com) We're able to produce this podcast because of YOUR support. If you want to learn more, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). If you want to become a Patron (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast), and get exclusive access to our monthly newsletter, bonus episodes, and more, check out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast)! A giant thank you to all of our Patrons, who help keep this podcast running! Learn more by checking out our Patreon Page (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast). Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $5 per month, you get bonus episodes, special newsletters and Zoom Cocktail Hours with Michelle! Special Guest: Kelly A. McWilliams.

Have you ever wondered about the crazy fun, interesting, and shocking things celebrity wedding planners see behind the scenes? The author of this really cool new book titled: "Without a Hitch" joins Michelle today on the podcast. Author Mary Huddleston is a a former wedding planner to celebrities and to people who have spent insanely large amounts of money on weddings. Mary's new book isn't a documentary necessarily, but is based on the things she's done and seen in her career. The main characters of the book are relatable at times and over the top hilarious at others. Whether you're planning a wedding now, or you work as a wedding planner yourself, you're going to laugh your head off reading this book. In the mean time get to know Mary on today's show as she offers up a few sneak peaks with Michelle. Big Takeaways * The more money and family involved, the more drama. * A good wedding planner has your back and acts as a liaison between you and the vendors and more. Sometimes, they even act as a therapist. It's important to really connect with your planner. * When it comes to day-of coordination, Mary also does not advise it. Minimum, she recommends hiring a planner three months out. They need to have time to give advice and review everything. It can't happen in one day or month of. If you hire someone earlier on they can fix problems, negotiate contracts, and do all the magic that planners do. Tips and questions to ask a wedding planner you might not have thought to ask: 1. How long have you been doing this? 2. How often have you worked at this venue? 3. Make sure they are the kind of person who can stand up for you when needed. 4. Do you have experience doing the type of wedding we're doing? Links We Referenced https://www.instagram.com/mrssouthernsocial/ (https://www.instagram.com/mrssouthernsocial/) https://www.pinterest.com/mrssouthernsocialofficial/ (https://www.pinterest.com/mrssouthernsocialofficial/) https://mrssouthernsocial.com/ (https://mrssouthernsocial.com) https://mrssouthernsocial.com/book-club-guide/ (https://mrssouthernsocial.com/book-club-guide/) https://pleasebeseated.com (https://pleasebeseated.com) Quotes “She [Asher] went off and pursued a proper journalism degree at Colombia and I went and, you know, helped brides change their underwear for a living.” - Mary _ _“You know, you go to these weddings and something's always going to go wrong, it's just to what degree. You know, and obviously, if the guest is seeing it then it's probably a large problem. But there's so much that goes on behind the scenes and the really good vendors and wedding planners you never know about it. Or if you do it's at the end of the event and it hasn't ruined the event.” - Mary Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $5 per month, you get bonus episodes, special newsletters and Zoom Cocktail Hours with Michelle! Special Guest: Mary Huddleston.

A year ago, our guest on today's show, Jordan Hager, reached out to Michelle with a story you won't want to miss. Her email was titled: “My wedding story when all vendors cancelled.” She shares once-in-a-lifetime experience which begins on the day Texas, experienced the worst ice storm the state had ever seen. Jordan's story is one of hope and a powerful reminder to those of you planning a wedding that yes, you will experience stress and drama during the process of getting married, but keeping your focus on the end result of marrying your sweetheart is really what it's all about. Jordann Hager is 27 years young and currently lives in Colorado Springs with her husband Matt and their sheepadoodle puppy, Bodhi (bo-dee). Jordann spends her days working in Pediatrics & Family Support Services and her nights working as an associate wedding planner. Jordann is known for her love of pink and her quick wit and is often referred to as “The Actual Elle Woods”. Big Takeaways * In the intensity of everything changing, and needing to be adjusted last minute, Jordann was able to stay optimistic, and work with her people to create a magical wedding day. * Having a wedding planner was ultimately the only way her wedding was able to still happen. Amanda, her planner, put out fires, found last minute substitutes, and never stopped working. * Jordann's biggest advice for staying sane on the big day is marry your best friend. The goal of the day is to get married, and in the end, if that happens that it was a successful day. * Choose a wedding planner that you would want around you if everything went wrong. Links We Referenced instagram.com/jordann.hager (https://instagram.com/jordann.hager) instagram.com/dovetail_jordann (https://www.instagram.com/dovetail_jordann/) dovetailweddings.com (https://dovetailweddings.com) instagram.com/dovetailweddings (https://www.instagram.com/dovetailweddings/) instagram.com/makeupbymaddz_ (https://www.instagram.com/makeupbymaddz_/) saloneforte-hair.com (http://salonforte-hair.com) themansionatcolovista.com (https://www.themansionatcolovista.com) instagram.com/themansionatcolovista (https://www.instagram.com/themansionatcolovista/) austinstuartphotography.com (https://www.austinstuartphotography.com) instagram.com/austinstuartphoto (https://www.instagram.com/austinstuartphoto/) kalocatering.com (https://kalocatering.com) instagram.com/kalocatering (https://www.instagram.com/kalocatering/) hellotara.com (https://hellotara.com) instagram.com/taralyonsphotography (https://www.instagram.com/taralyonsphotography/) Quotes _“I see her name's Amanda, she's like, ‘So we have a little problem...' ‘Oh no.' She's like, ‘So...' and she opens the door and everything is completely white. I can see ice everywhere of this parking lot of the little cottages we're staying at on site.” - Jordann “When people say, ‘I don't know what wedding planners do,' I'm like, ‘Okay, have a seat, I'm going to tell you this is what happened and it was beautiful.'” - Jordann “The big advice I tell people is marry your best friend.” - Jordann_ Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $5 per month, you get bonus episodes, special newsletters and Zoom Cocktail Hours with Michelle!

On today's episode of the podcast Michelle connects with the lovely Claire White, owner of White Ink Calligraphy. Listen in as Claire answers all those questions you want answers to about any type of print material you're going to need for your wedding. Claire White puts pen to paper in Nashville Tennessee and has been serving the wedding industry for five years. White Ink started out as a calligraphy studio and has recently expanded to offering full invitation services, graphic design and printing services. White Ink assists their clients with wedding details from Save the Dates to the place cards at their wedding reception, and everything in between. Big Takeaways From Chava: Any tips for creating your own invitation/invitation suites? We want to design the invitation ourselves but how to best execute once we have the design. What card stock would you recommend? Any specifics on how to utilize a cricut? If you are thinking of getting a cricut for the first time for your wedding, don't do it.They are complicated. If you are used to using them, go for it! 110lbs or heavier for card stock. Anything with texture will look more lux. Have a candid conversation with your printer about what kind of paper they can use. Local printers are usually focused more on large print projects, and less on small ones. DIY will be a lot more time. And sometimes will end with you spending a lot more money than having ordered out because there will be trouble shooting along the way. From Anamaria: Ways to save money on custom invitations. Ask the stationer if they have semi-customdesignsavailable. While white ink doesn't offer semi-custom, you can find old designs you like and have them work with that which does decrease cost. From Hope: What is the best way to find postage that will compliment your invitation suite without the ability to customize stamps? Do you ever have issues with return addresses printed on the back of envelopes being sent back instead of to the intended recipient because it isn't on the front in the upper left hand corner? The post office releases new postage fairly frequently. When something comes out of rotation, it becomes ‘vintage'. You can find vintage postage through Etsy, or other places online. Be careful! There is counterfeit postage going around! Always put the invitation return address on the back flap. Make it smaller font than the mailing address. It shouldn't ever get sent to the return address. From Brigit: The whole USPS mailing process. Anything we should know about weight/stamps/ hand canceling (I know I've heard that term before but think it's more expensive??) Hand canceling stops the post office from running it through their machine with the barcode, but it doesn't guarantee it won't happen in another office. Some offices require extra postage for a wax seal or hand canceling. If it's just a cardinan envelope, put one stamp. If it has multiple things inside, put two stamps to just be safe. From Laura: What's the best way to address invites in the modern age? Re: lots of married friends who did not take their partner's name + which names comes first + including kids? The rules of etiquette are a little bit behind when it comes to modern addressing. Don't lose sleep over it. More formal: list the male first. Friend is the female but lives with a male: list the female first. Mr. __ and Mrs. ___ is okay. How formal do you want to be? There are a million different right answers. The etiquette rules can change from address to address. From Amber: What recommendations do you have for seating chart styles and formats (ex. Grouped by tables or alphabetically) in light of Covid and higher likelihood of people not being able to come last minute and maybe needing to shuffle some people around. Especially for outdoor weddings where escort cards are likely to fly away. If you are worried about your escort cards flying away, talk with your wedding planner to come up with solutions. If you have a seating chart listed alphabetically by last name, it is easier to change. When it's put by table, it is much harder to change last minute. Michelle loves first name, last initial, then table number. If you have to have it by table, you should have a smaller guest count. From Jessica: Recommendations on what information to actually include on the invites/inserts? - Insertshouldalwaysincludeyourwebsite! From Natasha: What's the etiquette for sending out 2 different invitations? One set for the bride's family and a different one for the groom's side. I feel like certain family members need to be told specific things and others do not. You are hosting a wedding for these guests. You don't have to explain things in different terminology for different guests. If you have to, you can make it a text. - Make it super clear on your website. From Nika: Any advice on mailing invites abroad? My save the dates took 6 weeks to get to parts of Europe. If you have a beautiful suite you want to stay pretty and get there in a reasonable time, put it in a flat mailer and mail it with more postage as a parcel. - SenditUSPS. From Manda: Do I have to include physical rsvps or can I just have people go online? I don't want to be tacky- but also think this could save a good bit of money. The trend is that about 50% of couples are doing online RSVP snow. There is really no wrong answer. From Cassy: If its OK to add a leaflet about a welcome party in the invitation suite, why is it bad form to add the reception invitation to the suite? Why do people recommend mailing them separately? Reception insert should be a separatecard, but not a different envelope! Links We Referenced etsy.com (https://www.etsy.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=etsy%20com_e&utm_campaign=Search_US_Brand_GGL_ENG_General-Brand_Core_All_Exact&utm_ag=A1&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQiAmpyRBhC-ARIsABs2EApi3Dm9WWhse6mTR-SVNwwI1gSkrLogTjN5ILQ6vcQ4R8d6YauxDMMaAqmmEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_227553629_16342445429_536666953103_kwd-1818581812_c_&utm_custom2=227553629&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmpyRBhC-ARIsABs2EApi3Dm9WWhse6mTR-SVNwwI1gSkrLogTjN5ILQ6vcQ4R8d6YauxDMMaAqmmEALw_wcB) store.usps.com/store/results/stamps//N-9y93lv?requestid=304204 emilypost.com (https://emilypost.com) crane.com/etiquette-guide (https://www.crane.com/etiquette-guide) qr-code-generator.com (https://www.qr-code-generator.com) whiteinkcalligraphy.com (https://www.whiteinkcalligraphy.com) instagram.com/whiteinkcalligraphy (https://www.instagram.com/whiteinkcalligraphy/) littlepostagehouse.com/vintage-postage-curated-collections (https://www.littlepostagehouse.com/vintage-postage-curated-collections) enfieldpost.com (https://www.enfieldpost.com) magnoliapostage.com (https://www.magnoliapostage.com) Quotes “Ultimately, at the end of the day, you don't want it to look like a 3rd grade craft project. Right? You want it to look professional, even if you DIY'd it. There's a lot of tutorials on YouTube, certain stationers that assist with DIY, you can find people on instagram. You will save money this way. that go the DIY route, regret it, jump on board with a professional, and then they're paying rush fees.” - Claire _“You are hosting a wedding for these guests. You do not need to be explaining things in different terminologies for different guests. That is a phone call. If they ask, that is a text message.” - Claire _ Plan your wedding using The Big Wedding Planning Master Class (https://www.thebigweddingplanningmasterclass.com/). A self-paced digital course created with love for you by Christy & Michelle. The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... * Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. * Edited by Veronica Gruba. * Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics (https://www.mophonics.com/). * On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! * Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. * Easy to get in touch with. Email us at thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode * On Patreon. Become a member (https://www.patreon.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast) and with as little as $5 per month, you get bonus episodes, special newsletters and Zoom Cocktail Hours with Michelle! Special Guest: Claire White.

In this episode, we're calling bullsh#t on the wedding being "all about the bride". A wedding is the union of 2 people. Let's pay attention and pamper each them...equally! The dedicated groomsmen coordinator concept began to develop as founder Cameron Fontaine decided to elevate the experience of his groom clients. While working as the Made-To-Measure specialist for a luxury menswear retailer, clients would come in to have bow ties made within an hour of their wedding. While attending to these sometimes frantic gentlemen, Cameron realized that the bride would never have to leave her room for anything on her wedding day. Why should the groom have to? After identifying this void in the wedding service industry, Cameron began to offer what is now referred to as "Day-of Groomsmen Concierge”. These services included pressing shirts, primping groomsmen, staging photography, pinning boutonnières, and of course tying bow ties. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Big Takeaways When it comes to the wedding day between a bride and groom, the bride is often pampered in unexpected ways, while the groom doesn't even expect special treatment. Think about the things the groom wants from his experience, allow room for a little selfishness in the brainstorming time. The special day should be special for both of the couple! There can be a lot of missed moments from things being done in the old way, like the groom getting dressed. When planning with the photographer, they don't need as much time in the groom's room, but it can be meaningful to have them pop in to take photos of the "getting ready" process too. All this translates to two grooms as well! Cameron's Tips for getting dressed on the wedding day Wear your pants at their proper height No show socks - loafers are popular Know the proper way to tuck your shirt Wear suspenders with a tuxedo, and a belt with a suit Have an emergency sewing kit and lint roller on hand Have someone else put on your cuff links and use this as a photo op Everyone should get dressed at the same time for the photos Have a second shirt handy Links We Referenced FontaineConcierge.com (Mention the Big Wedding Planning Podcast for 20% off or use code: BIGWEDDING) instagram.com/fontaineconcierge facebook.com/fontaineconcierge Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alright, listen up people! If you are not taking care of yourself, you are NOT going to successfully be able to take care of anything or anyone else in your life. Michelle has known Coach Brien Shamp for a few years now and believes wholeheartedly in his message and mission. We are thrilled to bring this episode to you NOW especially when current events are draining the life out of so many of us. Listen in, learn, implement, and thank us later. ;) Coach Brien Shamp began personal fitness training back in 1991 at the age of 18. He now develops weekly programs for over 1,000 clients and students of all ages (up to 105 years old) and abilities. Brien has been the Strength & Conditioning Specialist for several colleges in the Bay area: College of San Mateo (CSM), University of Notre Dame, Santa Clara University and Menlo College. For six years Brien was an Adapted Physical Education Instructor at Foothill College, where he taught elderly and mentally disabled students to enhance their overall functional capacity through exercise in various settings. Brien is recognized as a Master Trainer by IDEA, and has written hundreds of articles on various health & fitness related topics Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Big Takeaways Stress reduction is everything. Exercise alone does not have anything to do with losing weight. The 7 Daily Primal Needs Consciously breathe - Slow, deep, rhythmic core breathing Hydrate - Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day - minimum Sleep - quality and quantity. 7-9 hours per night (sleep will help balance your hormones!) Eat - Hight quality foods. Plan & Prepare. Chew. Know your body. Love - Connect with those that fill you up. Server others. Live from the heart, not the mind. Growth - Constant and never-ending improvement and personal development. Get a coach to help you! Movement - 30 minutes per day, mimiimum! When you work out, you ask more of your physiology. Be aware of your posture too. With your in-home/virtual workouts, create a nice environment for yourself. Find joy in your workout space! Brien also encourages his trainees to use a heart rate monitor. Links We Referenced Brienshamp.com Brien is offering discounts to our listenters! Be sure to mention you heard about him on The Big Wedding Planning Podcast when inquiring. $50 off the 21 day program = $300 (normally $350) $30 a week discount off of the 12 week program = $69 a week (normally $99 a week) Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About Christy Mathews & Michelle Martinez: Co-hosts of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast, Christy Mathews and Michelle Martinez are two fun-loving, friends and Certified Wedding Consultants. Michelle is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been planning weddings for over 18 years. Christy is located in the Pheonix, AZ area and has been planning weddings over 12 years. Together, they share their deepest, darkest secrets to help couples all over the world plan their weddings. The goal of the podcast is for listeners to learn a lot, laugh even more, and most importantly get the inside scoop on how to make the most of their big day.Inclusivity is of the utmost importance to Christy & Michelle, so the podcast is for EVERYONE.In this episode, Jamie, Heather, Christy Mathews, and Michelle Martinez discuss:Smaller guest count weddings and creating a more intimate experience. Becoming hyper-specific in your business focus.The virtual components and streaming services of a wedding.RSVP changes and modifications that will come from the 2020 season. Key Takeaways:Create, collaborate, and connect with a core group of people that you trust. Take time for business introspection. Does running this business still make me happy? Focus on what's important for you as a couple not what's important for the guest. An important part of virtual wedding attendance is making sure that the people at home feel as if they are part of your event, not just watching it. Connect with Christy Mathews Michelle Martinez :Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBWPpodcast   Website: https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/   Podcast: https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebigweddingplanningpodcast/ Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen BraunAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.   

The Big Wedding Planning Podcast has been UPGRADED! Today we are joined by Steph Altman, music composer and owner of Mophonics. Steph has generously donated his brilliant musical talents to build a sound scape for our show. Mophonics, based out of LA and NY, has discovered and developed the careers of some of today's most prominent artists, writers, and composers. Using his wide array of skills and knowledge, Steph explains the process of vamping up our theme song, and using that as a building block for all the other pieces he created. We share a few of the sounds, talk about how important a playlist or musical score are to creating a wedding, and hear about Playa Studios in LA. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Links We Referenced mophonics.com playastudiosla.com Playa Studios on Instagram Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're celebrating three years of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast this month. WHAT?! Three years of every Wednesday episodes. Three years of conversations, interviews, advice. We've answered your questions, we've interviewed over a 100 guests, and we've learned and shared so much! Wedding Planning is the business we are both in, and the podcast is a true labor of love. In the process of producing the podcast, we have bonded, our friendship has evolved, our outlook has evolved, and we have. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Big Takeaways Special thank you to former guests and colleagues of ours: Aleisha from Bridechilla, Matt Gourley (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast) and Amanda Gourley (The Big Ones podcast), Claire from White Ink Photography, and Trish from Beatbox Portraits - they all called in to wish us a Happy Podiversary and we loved hearing from them! Ah, memories. We know some awesome people, yall. And this podcast has opened doors for us to know more awesome people, to know YOU, to hear your stories and your experiences and it allows us to feel connected in a way that we never imagined. Thank you for that! We reviewed some of our very favorite episodes - what a fun trip down memory lane! One that we both loved - was Ep #150 - “Will you marry us?” - all about how to get the best out of your friend or family member that has agreed to be your officiant. We loved recording it with our guest, Mark Allan Groleau of Unboring Officiant, and we got a ton of great feedback from listeners after the wedding. We're still collaborating with him, btw - so check out www.unboringofficiant.com/bigwedding and you'll see what we're talking about! Among others we mention, we also loved recording the “Cocktails with the Aerobar” - which we did in Nashville. Listen to this one if you want to hear what super-hung-over Michelle sounds like! We've come a long way, baby! This episode is a celebration of how far we've come and why we're excited about the future. Together. As co-hosts of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast. Thank you for coming along for the ride! Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for telling your friends and co-workers about us. And thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding planning experience. We are honored and humbled and really excited about the next year! Also - we indulge a little in this ep and take some time to tell each other what we love about each other. And honestly, it's something that friends should do more often! It's generous and cathartic and healthy. So - go find a dear friend and tell them why you love them so much! (And oh hey! You can use the ‘search' feature on our website to look for the topics that you are interested in. It's helpful!) Links we referenced https://www.thebridechilla.com https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-big-ones-earios-H5ZkFjCegWd/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_O'Brien_Needs_a_Friend https://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/cocktails-with-the-aero-bar Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is our baby. We are following in the footsteps of awesome podcasters all over the world...namely the wedding podcast “Bridechilla” - the illustrious, premier wedding podcast. Host and producer Aleisha McCormack is gracious and knowledgeable and hilarious and we are so happy to have her on! Listen to her podcast and check out her wedding planning guides online. Links below! Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Big Takeaways Basically, we love the whole ‘Bridechilla' community. The movement that Aleisha created is based on staying grounded, following your heart when wedding planning, staying true to yourself and stripping away the bullshit. We are all about this! Her podcast is all about sharing this message and an entire community has stepped together around the themes that Aleisha presents in her podcast. So- we're fans. We're colleagues. We're peers. And we are so stoked to have her on the podcast - we think you are going to fall in love with her! Here on TBWPP, we focus a lot on same-sex weddings. It's important to us and we want to be inclusive for our listeners. And on Bridechilla - she is awesome about focusing on and including the mental health issues, including depression. Both podcasts are about speaking to our listeners and giving them what they want! Sometimes, that is support. The Fuck-It Bucket. What?! In Aleisha's: DIY projects that are half done. Gift bags. Favors. Chair covers. Links we referenced https://thebridechilla.com/be-a-bridechilla/ https://bridechillastore.com http://bridechilla.libsyn.com/podcast https://www.instagram.com/bridechillapodcast/ https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcast/the-bridal-party/ Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our anniversary! We are SO STOKED to celebrate this one year mark with you, our dear listeners. We've had such a great time doing this podcast and we're so f*%king proud of our first year. Can we just pat ourselves on the back a little? Sure, we can! Here's a whole episode devoted to us, our guests, our love for each other, and it serves as a testament to our labor of love: The Big Wedding Planning Podcast. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Take a walk with us down memory lane as we recall our favorite moments, pull some of our favorite quotes (montage!) and just love on one another...Including a toast! Get in touch with us! Tell us what you want to hear on the podcast. Also, share your stories and ideas with us. We are so open to chatting with our listeners...if you have a crazy story or random wedding question, hit us up! We want to take on a social media guru - non-paid, obviously. Well, you'll get to be on the show, you'll get to be a part of the show and we'll serve as mentors! If you have the skills and want to be a part of the team, please email us thebigweddingplanningpodcast@gmail.com, subject: ‘social media help'. Links we referenced Just our own show! Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For some people, wedding planning happens to coincide with a devastating life crisis. We listen to a bride tell her story of the loss of her mother and grief during her wedding planning. Wedding planning can be stressful. We talk about that all the time on this podcast. And as a bride or groom, you deal with the stress the best you can - we talk about how to minimize stress, stay organized and grounded, and about keeping things in perspective as you go on the wedding planning journey. The goal is to have a wonderful wedding day, and to be able to enjoy every moment of it. But what happens when things don't go according to plan? Life can throw a lot at you at once. Click HERE to become a premium subscriber and unlock all of the amazingness:       Ad-free, full length episodes      The TBWPP Wedding Planning Resource Center with  Access to 6 mini courses of The Big Wedding Planning Master Class  Wedding Planning Templates and Tools Big Takeaways Trigger warning: This episode of The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is about terminal cancer. Lauren lost her mom to cancer after an 18 month struggle, and that time period was also when Lauren and her partner Blake were planning their wedding. It was the happiest saddest day, ultimately, and we are honored that Lauren told her story for us. When wedding planning starts to feel all-encompassing, take a step back. Really evaluate where you are in life, what you have to be grateful for, and why you want to marry your partner! Focus on the love. Hug your parents. Say thank you. Call the people in your life that you love, and that love you and tell them you love them! Things got VERY tough for Lauren. The news seemed to be bad every time she talked to her mom, and her mom was insisting that she keep her wedding plans in place - it was all she had to look forward to. The pressure was intense, and the sadness and helplessness were present every day. These feelings and this reality followed Lauren to dress fittings and cake tastings, and home at the end of the day for her to unpack with her partner Blake. At times, the ONLY thing Lauren was sure about was that she was marrying the right guy, and that she was so happy to be doing so. Her actual current relationship with Blake was what kept her going, and gave her some peace, some strength and the energy to keep moving forward, under impossible circumstances. That is a true testament to love, and to the whole point of marriage itself. On the day of the rehearsal, Lauren visited her mom at the hospice facility. Then she drove straight to her wedding rehearsal and endured the whole thing in a shell-shocked state, beaten down by the saddest circumstances, missing her mom, questioning her choices, and feeling extremely annoyed with her husband-to-be. On the wedding day - Lauren felt like everyone was looking at her with sympathy about her mom. Her mom was in hospice less than 5 miles away, and her presence was felt at the wedding...mainly through the friends of her mom, who Lauren considered surrogates. Ultimately, Lauren was able to be fully present in her wedding day - as it was, not as she wished it had been. Lauren's advice, for anyone going through this or something similar: find a way to honor your person on the wedding day, in private or public. And if possible - err on the side of visiting your loved one too many times. Get In Touch:  The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is… Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez  Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics  On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Easy to get in touch with. Email us at hello@thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices